Ball joints are often utilized for providing rotational connection between structural members. For example, such ball joints are, typically found in vehicles wherein the ball joints support the wheels of the vehicles. The ball joints are used to connect control arms, steering knuckles, spindle brackets, tie rods, and other structural members of the vehicles.
Such ball joints typically comprise a housing and a ball member. The ball member comprises a shaft portion extending out of the housing and a ball portion that is contained within the housing. A cap is secured to the housing to maintain the ball member in the housing and permit the shaft to be moved or rotated.
While these ball joints are presumably effective for their intended purposes, many conventional ball joints require large tools, or other implements, to adjust or remove the cap. The large tool, in turn, requires the cap on the housing to be large, which can increase the weight of the ball joint. Additionally, the large cap can reduce the clearance associated with the ball joint and adjacent structural members.
Additionally, in some applications, for example, in car racing, the degree of movement can impact the vehicle's suspension. The suspension can influence the overall speed of the vehicle. Accordingly, in such applications it is desirable to adjust the ball joints to have a level of movability/rotation where the ball joint has a desired stiffness. The term “stiffness” refers to the relative ease/difficulty at which the ball member rotates relative to the housing. However, most conventional ball joints are not adjustable and do not allow for the precise adjustment needed to achieve the desired stiffness.
Therefore, there is a need for a new adjustable ball joint that addresses one or more of these short comings.